Dobby Testifies
by WogglebugLover-AvengingAtheist
Summary: How it may have been if Fudge had agreed to allow Dumbledore to summon Dobby to give testimony during Harry's hearing.


Harry couldn't believe what was happening to him now. Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, who up until now and a few months ago he had thought was a very nice man as he pardoned him two years ago for inflating his Aunt Marge because he had been understanding that he could not control his anger over her rude remarks about his dead parents, now seemed to be determined to have him expelled from Hogwarts and he didn't even seem willing to verify all of the facts.

Mrs. Figg had done her best to defend him, and now so was Dumbledore, but Fudge didn't seem as convinced as he ought to have been. Harry wondered if Fudge would possibly be any different if there had been any other young wizard than him in his place now. Those dementors should never have attacked him and Dudley, and if he hadn't used the Patronus charm on them he would have lost his soul and wouldn't be here now and at the moment he didn't know which was worse.

Dumbledore at present was attempting to talk some sense into Fudge. Only to then be met with Fudge recalling the Hover Charm cast four years, which Harry promptly mentioned was done by not him but the house-elf Dobby. When Fudge would not believe this Dumbledore promptly offered to summon Dobby to give evidence of Harry's claim. Fudge nervously and irately refused this suggestion.

But then a witch at Fudge's left who had been silent until now spoke up. "Why not? After all, the more witnesses the clearer the case and the sooner we can have this done with."

Fudge looked from left to right at all of the assembled council members who showed signs of agreement to hear from another witness.

"Um – I – Alright! Dumbledore, you may deliver us your servant."

Dumbledore smiled and snapped his fingers. Instantly a three-foot tall house elf appeared next to him sitting on a stool and wearing a red checkered shirt and pale blue overalls with a slightly soiled apron over them.

He looked around nervously and then asked turning toward Dumbledore "How may Dobby be of service to Master?"

"Dobby, could you kindly tell us where you were the night of July 17, 1994?" Dumbledore asked kindly.

Dobby looked from Dumbledore to Harry to Fudge and the Council members around them, gulped and said nervously, "Dobby was at Harry Potter's house at number 4 Privet Drive."

"What were you doing there?" asked Fudge, not as kindly as Dumbledore.

"Dobby had heard from his master – former master now –" Dobby said, fidgeting on his stool and twisting his fingers, "how master had found the diary of Tom Riddle and intended to have sold at Flourish and Blotts soon to a student of Hogwarts, and hopefully it would be Harry Potter. Dobby kept listening and heard that when the diary was opened it would take control of its owner and cause them to unleash the basilisk on all the muggle-borns at the school and that if Harry didn't get the diary he might just as well become lured into the Chamber of Secrets which was the lair of the basilisk and die fighting it."

"Dobby just couldn't let that happen!" Here Dobby began to choke up. "Dobby couldn't bear the thought of Harry Potter being destroyed for he meant so much to Dobby – not just to Dobby but to all house-elves with masters like Dobby's!" Tears now began to run down Dobby's cheeks. "So Dobby went to where Harry Potter lived and tried to warn him about the danger though Dobby couldn't tell Harry Potter what the danger was, he was in trouble enough popping off without Master's knowledge! Harry Potter would not listen to Dobby's warning, Dobby became desperate and when he saw a big bowl of pudding on a banquet table he hovered up above the room and let it fall and then he vanished before he could be seen and when he got back to old Master's house he shut his ears in the oven door for what he did and hoped it was worth and Harry would be safe from the danger that was at Hogwarts!" Dobby then buried his face in his arms and began wailing sobs of guilt with the tears sliding down his long nose.

Fudge looked at Dobby and could see he was clearly telling the truth his tears were real. Turning towards Dumbledore again he said harshly, "This elf is obviously a troublemaker and deserves all punishments! Dumbledore, what I want to know now is what were you thinking when you hired this pathetic wretch?"

Dumbledore cleared his throat slightly and said, "I consider myself a reasonable wizard in who I choose to trust, and it is up to me whom I hire. I hired Dobby because he met all of the qualifications of a Hogwarts elf, and since then he has been a most helpful servant, if not the most helpful of all of the elves at Hogwarts."

Harry spoke up vehemently for Dobby. "I agree, and Dobby is my friend now, the things in the past don't matter to me, and I would trust him with my life!"

Dumbledore leaned towards the still sobbing Dobby and pulling a clean handkerchief from inside his robes he handed it to the trembling elf. Dobby took hold of it and gave one last hiccuping sob and then blew his nose into it loudly.

"That will be all, Dobby," Dumbledore said kindly as he patted Dobby's tiny shoulder. "Thank you for your time. You may return to the kitchens now."

Dobby composed himself, and wiping his remaining tears on his apron he said, "Thank you Master Dumbledore, sir! Dobby is always glad to be of service."

And with a crack Dobby was gone.

The trial then proceeded as before.


End file.
